 I recently experienced a brain changing event. A newly found friend and mentor of mine, Nido Qubein, addressed an audience with many different business perspectives based on his personal experiences and wisdom. Nido delivered many thought provoking concepts about positioning, marketing and leadership. The one concept that resonated most was the difference between being a Hershey or being a Godiva. Which are you?
If you were to purchase a pound and a half of both delectable chocolates, you would notice there is a considerable difference in price. For Hershey, you will pay approximately $4 and for the same amount of chocolate at the Godiva store, you would pay close to $40. Same amount of chocolate, yet you will pay TEN TIMES more for Godiva. Why is this?
The answer lies in the difference in perception between the two brands. You can get Hershey anywhere. Hershey is located in just about every grocery and convenience store in America . What about the tastes - is Hershey a bad tasting chocolate given the lesser cost? Heck no. Personally, I have spent many an evening ripping and wrestling the small wrappers off those nuggets of delight called Hershey Kisses. On personal special occasions when Godiva has been offered, the rich looking boxes were delicately opened unveiling a masterpiece so attractive I would take time to admire and take in the Godiva much like a finely blended red wine – the swirl, the sniff, the drink, the swish, and the swallow. Chocolate experts feel the same way about taste as I do considering both brands have won numerous awards.
If you want Godiva – you have to seek it out. Godiva has stores strategically placed in markets and locations where you must search out and locate their stores. If you want Godiva shipped to you through a phone or internet order, you must abide by the company policy not allowing the shipping of their precious product during warmer months due to what higher temperatures would do to the integrity of the chocolate.
When you are driving home from picking up Godiva you wouldn’t dare open the box for a nibble. If it is a hot day the Godiva would be deliberately placed in front of the air conditioning vent to prevent any type of melting. Conversely, you will open the bag of Hershey for a quick bite because you can stop somewhere on the way home to buy more to replace what you have consumed. A little bit of melted chocolate won’t destroy your Hershey consumption as it would the Godiva experience. Besides, Godiva is meant to be given away – not eaten.
There is typically a very specific and unique reason you have driven several miles to purchase Godiva. Women know this very well. For example, if you ask women about the difference between receiving Godiva versus Hershey they would probably tell you if they receive Hershey chocolate as a gift it’s usually masked with wrapping, a cute coffee mug, and a small teddy bear to help distract the meager four hundred pennies spent. Guys usually only receive a kiss with a gift of Hershey. However, if a woman receives a reward of Godiva, look out – it could be a lights out experience!
So which are you – a Hershey or a Godiva? To help you determine where you stand, you may want to answer the following questions:
- Is your business a run of the mill “convenience store” where if people just keep going they will find another one just like you a few miles down the road? If so, what can you do to change this?
- What are you doing to make yourself more desirable for your specific market?
- Would your clients happily want to give you and your services to someone else as a “gift”?
- How are you packaging you and your services versus the competition?
- What is the perception of you and your services by your target audience?
- When your customers “unwrap” you, is there substance, the capacity to solve complex problems and integrity?
More times than not businesses are blended together lacking key positioning elements for standing out from the crowd. If you are a Hershey, you are an “information utility” easily found, in less demand, often used and discarded. If you are a Godiva, you’re a “knowledge reservoir”, a source of wisdom, and indispensable – leaving your clients hungry for more. The answer to the above questions will help you discover whether you are a Hershey or a Godiva. If you are interested in learning more about Nido Qubein, you may want to visit his website at www.nidoqubein.com to order hisbooks, DVD’s and CD’s. You too may experience a brain changing event.
The next time you purchase services or products from someone leverage the power of perception in your decision making process. When you view your business and the perceptions your customers have of you, make sure you are reflecting what is true to your core values and beliefs in your appearances and messages. Remember, if you want clients to seek you out, it’s important you have an attractive wrapper or they won’t even open the box.
Travis Ray Chaney is a co-creator and Transformation Guide with Dynamic Directions. For more information on Dynamic Directions, please contact Travis Ray Chaney at tchaney@dynamicdirection-d2.com
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